


Concussion watch

by NYWCgirl



Category: White Collar
Genre: Concussions, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Sickfic, Taking Care of Someone, Undercover
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-05
Updated: 2018-09-05
Packaged: 2019-07-07 06:14:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15902514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NYWCgirl/pseuds/NYWCgirl
Summary: Jones and Neal are undercover together, when their cover seems to be blown, Neal comes up with a plan to save the operation.





	Concussion watch

**Author's Note:**

> This fic fills the ‘Forced to hurt someone’ square in my H/C Bingo card

Neal looks at Jones and he knows he isn’t able to pull it off. He is going to blow their cover. A cover that Neal carefully constructed. He can already see the guy eyeing them suspiciously.

‘I see that we reached an impasse. Carlo, just let me talk to him.’

Carlo nods and Neal gently guides Jones to the side.

‘Hit me.’ He whispers.

When Jones just stares at him, he quietly explains.

‘Hit me, so they will think you are on their side.’

‘I´m not going to hit you.’ Jones whispers back.

‘You will have to Jones, look at them, they already are considering shooting us. Well me, they suspect something and they are looking for the weak spot in their organization. Let´s give them what they want.’

‘No Neal, there must be another way. I will just say the extraction phrase.’

‘That won´t do. Where is this distrust coming from? What did Peter say?’

‘I do thrust you, it is just…’

‘You don´t trust me enough to punch me and save this case?’

Jones doesn´t respond verbally, he just pulls back his fist and before Neal realizes what is going on, he is hit square over the jaw, stumbling backwards. When he stumbles over his own feet, he hits his head against the wall.

Jones does his best to keep his facial expression blank when he sees Neal lay unconscious crumpled on the floor. He knew this was a bad idea, but since they went through with it, he quickly puts handcuffs around Neal`s wrists. He puts them on so Neal will be able to slip them without problems.

‘Carlos, I will bring him to your boss.’

It is clear that the man didn´t expect what just happened but he nods. Jones lifts Neal and drops him in the van he came in, before driving off, leaving the men behind them. He calls their contact and tells him he is bringing in the mole.

Neal is still unconscious and it worries Jones. He knew he shouldn´t have hit Neal.

He stops a couple of blocks from the warehouse and gently shakes Neal, who groans.

‘Come on, Neal? Are you with me?’

Before Neal opens his eyes, he stills when he feels the handcuffs.

‘Neal, calm down. You’re fine. I´m here, OK?’

When Neal stills, Jones takes Neal´s face in his hand and forces Neal to look at him. What he sees doesn´t calm his nerves, Neal is clearly concussed. His pupils are uneven and his gaze is unfocused.

‘Neal, are you with me?’

‘Yeah. ‘

‘I put the handcuffs on loose, you will be able to slip them, OK?’

Neal nods.

‘This isn´t my first heist, Jones, I’ll be fine.’

‘Peter will have my hide if something happens to you.’

Neal nods tiredly.

‘OK, lay down then.’

Jones drives to the meeting point with a clenched gut. It doesn´t sit right, but they have passed the point of no return and they need to continue.

‘OK, Neal, stay on the back seat and pretend to be unconscious. Neal! Did you hear what I said?’

‘Yes Mozzie, you would think this is the first time I do a sting.’

‘It´s Jones and it is a case. We are undercover Neal.’

‘OK, then let´s do it.’

 

* * *

 

‘Did you get him?’

‘Would I be here if I hadn´t?’

Peter opens the car and the man looks inside. The man snorts dismissively while he kicks Neal.

‘It is a good thing it is pretty, this way I can recoup some of the money I lost because of him.’

‘Are we going to talk or what?’

‘OK, get him out of there and in the container with the other merchandise. I have a buyer who will take them as a lot sale.’

‘When you show me the money you can have him.’

‘Of course.’ The man smiles menacingly.

Jones pulls Neal out of the car and it is clear Neal needs Jones´s support to stay upright. The man comes back with a thick envelop and pushes it in his hand. Neal´s eyes keep sliding shut and the man gives that predatory smile once again when he caresses Neal´s cheek. Jones can see the shudder that runs through Neal´s body at the contact.

Jones fakes indifference and checks the money and looks the man in the face, ‘It was nice doing business with you.’

But instead of stepping away, he pulls Neal closer just when other agents enter the scene.

‘FBI, EVERYBODY FREEZE! HANDS WHERE WE CAN SEE THEM!’

Jones pulls Neal towards the ground in an attempt to provide cover. But Neal doesn´t really catches himself and hits his head once again when he hits the filthy floor of the warehouse. He did however get rid of his handcuffs and Jones is glad to see Neal seems to have some understanding of what is happening.

It takes longer than expected to arrest the whole gang, but finally the all clear is given and then can come out of hiding. Jones looks up and Peter and Diana are already walking towards them.

Jones pulls Neal up and it is clear Neal is staggering. Peter quickly grabs Neal´s other side to give support.

‘Neal?’ Peter asks concerned.

‘Let go of me!’

‘Neal? We are safe. The arrests were made, it is over.’ Jones explains.

Before anybody can say anything, Neal start heaving.

‘OK, that´s it, Diana, call EMS.’

‘What?’

‘Neal, are you with us?’

Peter checks Neal´s pupils and to his shock they are uneven. They need to get Neal to a hospital.

‘Jones, what happened? Diana, where is that bus?’

‘They are pulling up right now.’

‘Meet them and tell them to get here ASAP.’

Peter looks back at Neal who let his eyes slip shut.

‘Neal? Wake up, come on, you can´t sleep on the job.’

Gentle rocking doesn´t help, Peter grips Neal and shakes him more firmly. When Neal doesn´t respond, fear grips him.

‘Diana, we need EMS NOW!’

While Peter calls out, two EMT´s carrying a gurney run towards them. Jones gives a quick debriefing on what happened to one of them, while the other EMT checks out Neal. He calls out numbers to the hospital dispatch and then tell that they will be on route as soon as possible. Neal doesn´t wake up during the whole ordeal, not even during the ride over to the hospital.

When they arrive at the ER, Neal is whisked away to CT and a nurse comes to get Peter, asking him to explain what happened. Peter tells them what Jones told the EMT, that Neal has hit his head a couple of times.

‘Is he going to be alright?’

‘It is too soon to tell. Mister Caffrey is taken to CT. The doctor will come talk to you when they are done.

Peter sighs and walks back to the waiting room.

 

* * *

 

Peter is finally called and taken to see Neal, who is laying propped up against cushions.

‘As I explained to Mister Caffrey, he is suffering from a concussion. He just need to rest to heal.’

‘So I can take him home?’

‘Yes, the nurse will give you a list of symptoms to be on the lookout for. I gave an antiemetic so that should take care of the nausea.’

‘I´m fine.’ Neal slurs, trying to turn his head away from the lights.

‘I will also add a prescription for pain medication.’

While they are talking the nurse enters with the list and the discharge papers. The doctor signs them and hands them to Neal.

‘Can I go?’

‘Yes. You are all set.’

‘Please take me home, Peter.’

 

* * *

 

The drive to DeKalb is uneventful. Once they sat in the car, Peter handed Neal his sunglasses and Neal gratefully expected them. He sleeps most of the drive anyway but when the car pulls up in front of Peter´s house, Neal goes from pale to green and Peter is happy that the nurse gave them a cardboard kidney bowls. Peter winces at Neal´s retching and he awkwardly rubs Neal´s back.

‘Done?’

Neal only gives a small nod and Peter takes the bowl from Neal´s trembling hands, dumping it in a trashcan that is left on the street. He helps Neal out of the car and indoors. They go up the stairs immediately, because it is clear Neal isn´t going to move anymore once he lays down.

Once upstairs, Neal is almost translucent and Peter tells Neal to stand still while he undresses him and guides him to the bed. Neal´s eyes are closed as soon as his head lays down on the pillow.

 

* * *

 

When Neal wakes, he is alone in the room and after a short peek, it is clear this is not his room at June´s. There are pills, crackers and Gatorade next to the bed, but Neal can feel the nausea built from just looking at the items. He closes his eyes , but the world seems to shift underneath him. So in the end he just pulls the covers over his head and tries to sleep. How he hates concussions.

‘Neal? You awake?’

Neal pries open his eyes and is surprised to notice the lights are out.

‘You need to eat something.’

‘N’t hungry.’ Neal slurs.

‘You need to eat something, so you can take your pills.’

‘Please stop the world first. I want to get off.’ Neal whispers.

Peter would have laughed if Neal wouldn´t looks so bad.

‘One cracker, then the pills.’

Peter presses the cracker in Neal´s hand and Neal quietly nibbles from the cracker, holding his hand out for the promised pills, a testimony how bad he feels. Peter puts the pills in his hand and slowly brings them to his mouth. Suddenly he feels the Gatorade bottle against his lips. He starts wondering when he closed his eyes. But he takes a sip anyway to wash away the pills and then pulls away. Peter helps Neal lay down again and puts a sleeping masks over Neal´s eyes.

‘What?’ Neal asks in surprise.

‘Jones brought them over. He feels quite guilty but he has his fair share of concussion playing football.’

‘Not his fault.’

‘I told him, now sleep Neal, Elizabeth will be home soon.’

Within minutes, Neal is curled up on his side, sleeping.

 

* * *

 

Peter and Elizabeth are watching television in their bedroom when Neal stumbles in. He is only in his underwear and his hairs sticks out. The sleep mask is hanging from his neck. He blearily blinks at the both of them. His brain seems to process something because he looks down at himself and then leaves the room again. Peter gets up and follows him. He hands Neal some sweat pants and an old T-shirt of himself.

‘How are you feeling?’

‘Headache, nauseous, dizzy, cold.’

‘Well, I want you to eat something. You have been asleep for some hours.’

Neal looks up in surprise.

‘You still look a bit pale.’

Elizabeth walks in with a bowl of chicken soup and Neal sits down on the bed and does his best to eat some soup and a cracker. It seems to please the Burkes. Peter hands him another pill and make him lay down again. He is asleep almost immediately. Elizabeth and Peter watch him sleep for a moment. Neal will be OK.

 

 


End file.
